YAKUBIK, Mary Elizabeth

Published
4:00 am PDT, Sunday, April 11, 2004

YAKUBIK, Mary Elizabeth - Born September 8, 1912 in Slovakia and died on April 2, 2004 in Walnut Creek, CA. Mary was a gentle and wise spirit who touched so many lives with her kindness, beauty, patience, intelligence, and determination to see the good in every person who came her way. Immigrating with her parents at age one, she was the oldest of seven children who were raised in Pennsylvania. Mary lived many years in Tallmadge, OH and Fort Myers Beach, FL before moving to California in 1990. Graduating as a registered nurse in 1934, she loved her profession, retiring for the second time at the age of 78. Married and devoted to her late husband, Joseph, for 55 years, she enjoyed family life and was devoted to her daughters, Rita Yakubik (Daly City, CA) and Judy Kohn (Sea Ranch, CA), who followed in their mother's footsteps, as nurses. She is also survived by her sister, Verna Miller (Mogadore, OH), brother, John Turlik (Akron, OH), and many nieces and nephews. Mary had a deep faith in God, was comforted by the rosary, and believed goodness to be "the only way". Despite severe vision loss from macular degeneration in her 80's, Mary remained active, and enjoyed dancing and socializing at Valley View Lodge, Walnut Creek until her 90th year. She spent the rest of her life, cared for by the staff at Manor Care, Walnut Creek, and comforted in multiple ways by the staff of Hospice of Contra Costa. Friends and family celebrated her life in a ceremony on April 8, 2004. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Contra Costa, 2051 Harrison St., Concord, CA. 94520, and to Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Continuous Care, 201 San Antonio Circle, Ste. 135, Mt. View, CA 94040.